Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Republican Attempts To Roll Back Historic New Clean Energy Investments And Jobs Made Possible By Senate Democrats

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Democrats and the Biden administration delivering for the American people by investing in clean energy. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

It’s not even been two years since President Biden and Democrats made historic investments in our infrastructure, clean jobs, and advanced manufacturing – and already we see ribbon cuttings, factory openings, and a boom in clean energy investment.

But this week, House Republicans are pushing a number of bogus and nasty bills that would undo all the hard work we’ve done to create more jobs in clean energy, while doubling down on giveaways to big oil.

One bill pushed by House Republicans would force taxpayers to pay more for the mess of oil and gas companies on public lands, by repealing an IRA rule requiring companies to pay a fairer rate to lease America’s public resources. At a time when big oil is seeing record profits – and big oil is consolidated, so there’s very little competition – House Republicans want to gift them even more giveaways, while making taxpayers pick up the tab.

A number of other bills Republicans are pushing would outright repeal many of the job-creating investments in the IRA. That’s terrible because the law is working so, so well: last year saw $240 billion in clean investment –triple the level in 2019. These investments – these good-paying jobs – are what Republicans are trying to take away.

America is leading the world in our transition to clean energy. We are creating a lot of jobs – good-paying jobs – along the way. But MAGA Republicans, fatally beholden to the big oil and big coal lobbies, are pushing to kill clean jobs, kill these historic investments, and extinguish years of future potential prosperity for the communities they represent. Shame on them.

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